The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-08-04
VOL. 20.
HEAVEN PORTRAYED.
WHAT THOSE WHO HAVE GONE Be-
FORE ARE DOING.

'''"Nl iiiCOG VIM FlNYG GONE. BE~
FORE ARE DOING.
The Cathedral Eel of Heaven Needed
by AIi-Dr. Talmage VIII Visit All of
His Friends in Heaven--''I Give Them
Fair Notice."
TIE UA8PTONs, July 3t.-The Rev
Y. Dewitt Talmage's sermon for this
morning was on the Grandparents Of
Heaven, and his text, Ezekiel i, I:
''Now, it came to pass in the thirtieth
year, in the fourth month"; III the fifth
day Of the month, as I was among the
captives by the river of Chebar, that the
heavens were opened
Ezcsicl, with others, had been ex-
latriated, and while in FOREIGN slavery
was standing on the banks Of the royai
canal, which he and other serfs had been
condemned to dig by the order of Ne
buchadnezzar-tli royal canal, in the
text called theIivcr Of Chebar-the Illus
trious exile had visions Of heaven. In
deed, it is almost always so that the
brightest visions of heaven come not 10
those who are on mountain top of pros
perity, but to some John on desolato
I'atmos, or to some Paul in Mamertine
dungeon, or to some Ezekiel standing on
the banks Of a ditch he had been COM
PEELED to dig-yca, to the weary, to the
heart hrolcc,, to those whom sorrow has
Lanlshed.
iia text is very particular to give us
the exact time of the vision. It was III
the thirtieth year, and in the fourth
month and in the fifth day Of the month
So y0u have had visions Of earth YOU
shall never forget. You remember the
year. You remember the month, You re-
member the day, you remember the
hour. Why may not we have some such
vision this morning, and it be IN the sixth
month and in tie fourth day of the
month?
The question Is often silently asked.
though perhaps never audibIy pro
pounded: s'What arc our departed
Christian friends doing now?" The
question is moro easily answered than
YOU might perhaps suppose. Though
there has come no recent intelligence
from the heavenly city, and we seem de
pendent upon the story of eighteen cen
turies ago, still | think we may from
strongest inference decide what are the
present occupations of our transferred
linsfolk.
After God has made nature he never
Cyadicatrs the chief characteristics OF its
temperament. You never knew a man
phIecmatic in temperament to become
tanguiue in temperament. You never
knew man sanguine in temperament TO
become phlegmatic in temperament. Con
version plants new principles in the soul,
}ut Paul and John are Just as different
from each other after conversion as they
were different from each other before
conversion. If conversion does not eradi-
cate the prominent characteristics Of the
temperament neither viii death eradicate
them.
You have, then, only by a sum in sub
traction and a sum IN addition to decide
what are the employnents of your de
1lrted fEicndS in the better world. You
are to subtract from them all earthly
srossness and add all earthly goodness,
aud then YOU are TO come to the conclu-
son tirit they are doing now IN heaven
what in tlair best moments they did on
earth. The reason that SO many people
never start for heaven is because they
could not stand it if they got there If s.
should turn out to be the rigid and formal
We like to come 10 church, but we
would not want TO stay here to next
Christmas. We like to hear the halelu-
Q,h chorus. but we would not want to
i rar it all the time for fifty centuries. Ii
1aig't be on some great occasionit it would
l. noss 'Jly comfortable to wear crown
&C gold wtiSlling several pounds, but it
would be an aiiiction to wear such a
crown forever. IN other words, we run
the descriptions Of heaven into the ground
while we make that Which was intended
a5 especial and celebrativs 70 be the eN-
elusive employment of the NeaVen. You
light "a well, if asked to dCSenbe the
habits Of American society, deS%ribe q
Decoration day, or a Fourth of July, or
an aut1mnal Thanksgiving as though )
were I'll the time that way.
I am not going to speculate in regard
to the future world, but | must by newt
able laws of inference and deduction and
common sense conclude that in heaven
We will he lust as different from each
other as we are now different, and hence
that there will beat least as many differ
cnt ompIoymcnts in tho celestial world as
there are employments here. Christ is to
bc the great love, the great joy, the great
Iaptrc, the great worship of heavens
hut will that abolish employment NJ
more than loves on earth-paternal. fiial,
fraternal. coniugal love, abolish earthly
occupation.
In the first place, l remark that al
those Of our departed Christian friends
who on earth found great JOY III the fine
arts are now indulging their tastes in the
,,me direction. On earth they had theil
gladdest pleasi.es amid pictures and
e,atuary. and IN tlls study Of the laws Of
light and shade and perspective. Lave
Nouanv idea that that &4luenee OF faculty
at death collapsed and ferlshed why
40. when there is moro for them 20 ioot
at. and they have keener appreciation .
ihc beautiful and they. stand amid th'
very looms where the sunsets and th'
rainbows and the spring mornings ar
woven?
Are YOU SO obtuse rs to suppose tina
bec4use the painter drops his easel anC
tbo sculptor his chiscl and the cngrave
his knife that therefore that taste, WhicI
me was cnlargiug and intensiiying 70
forty or fifty years, is entirely obhteraicd
These artists. OF these friends OF art, ol
earth worked in coaser material ant
with imperfect brain and frail hand
Now they have carried their art int
larrer liberties and into wider oircumfer
cnce. They are ut their old business yet
hut without the fatigues, without IN
limitations. without the hindrances Of tn
terrestrial studio.
Raphael could now improve upon hi
masterpiece Of Michael the Archangel'
now that he has seen him, and could i'm
Drove upon his masterpiece of the 'lloi
iamilv' now that he has visited them
Michael Angelo could better present III
Last judgment after be has seen ii
flash and heard the rumbling batterin
rams of its thunder. Exquisite color
here. graceful lines here, powerful CHI
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